What is Stress – Signs, Symptoms & Prevention?
Stress is a natural physical response to situations that make you feel upset or threaten your life’s balance. This situation can cause the heart to beat faster and blood pressure to rise, muscles tighten and tense, or even cause nausea or diarrhea.
The symptoms of stress are often referred to as “fight-or-flight” as they help you react quickly and efficiently in times of danger or emergency.
In today’s society, there are many different types of stressors we face daily: work deadlines, traffic jams, arguments with loved ones, financial problems—the list goes on!
Examples of stressors include
Stress is the body’s response to change. When you are experiencing stress, your nervous system reacts by releasing hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol into your bloodstream. These hormones help you respond quickly and efficiently in danger—for example, if a bear were chasing you down a mountain trail.
The effects of these hormones can be both positive and negative:
- Positive stress: This can help you achieve goals, develop new skills, and build healthier relationships with others.
- Negative stress: This makes it more difficult to deal with daily life as it increases feelings of frustration and helplessness over time.
Therefore, stress is a common issue that strikes almost all of us at some point in our lifetime. Plus, it can be triggered by various things, including:
Marital Separation
Marital separation is a common cause of stress for both parties. It can be very stressful, as you deal with many emotions and try to make decisions about your future.
If you are going via a marriage detachment, you must take care of yourself. You may need to talk with a counselor or other professional to get the support you need during this difficult time.
Personal injury or illness
An injury or illness can be a major source of stress. In addition, it can be a chronic condition that affects your lifestyle and mobility.
An injury or illness may affect your:
- Ability to work
- Level of independence
Fired at work
If you’ve been fired, it’s a stressful situation. Of course, your foremost consideration should be to get another job as quickly as possible. But if you don’t have one right away, you can talk with your family and friends about what happened and why. Sometimes talking with others can help us see our reactions more clearly.
Sexual difficulties
Sexual difficulties, such as low libido and trouble getting aroused, can also be signs of stress. Stress can affect people’s sex lives in more ways than one. It may be that you’re stressed and don’t want to have sex because your body is tense and tired—and that’s understandable. But it’s also possible that the stress itself is having a negative effect on your libido or ability to get aroused.
Signs & Symptoms of stress
- Headaches
- Chest pain
- Increased heart rate
- Fatigue
- Stiff jaw or neck
- Dizziness or trouble breathing
- Insomnia or trouble sleeping
Stress Management and Prevention
Stress management is a process of reducing the effects of stress on the mind, body, and behavior. It may include techniques such as –
- Exercise
- Meditation/relaxation
- Deep breathing exercises
- Yoga
- Stay Positive
You can also talk to a physician or healthcare provider about your distress. Therefore, stress management is sometimes used interchangeably with the term stress control.
However, stress itself cannot be eliminated, rather than completely controlling or eliminating it, we can manage it to optimize our performance and well-being at work or at home.
Closing Words
Stress is a major factor in many diseases like hypertension, obesity, anxiety, and depression. It can be a long-term or short-term nuisance, depending on what changes in your life. But it is important to manage stress before it becomes a serious issue.
Stress at work leads to absenteeism and dropouts at school, which can lead to negative effects on the individuals involved as well as their families and friends. In addition, stress causes poor sleep habits, leading to eating disorders resulting in weight gain or loss.
So, it is better to try relieving and managing stress at an early stage using the above strategies.
